The effects of the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU) are now to finally be felt by many, as this is the first stretch the UK has seen out of Covid-imposed restrictions to experience the new Brexit rules enforced from January 1, 2021. Prior to December 31, 2020, UK citizens had the freedom to travel, live, holiday and work anywhere in the EU without permits or visas.
However, this freedom of movement came to an end as of January 1, 2021, and new rules impacting travel were implemented to reflect the UK’s membership retraction from the EU.
Rules affecting mobile roaming charges and pet passports, to revoking automatic rights to work and live in EU countries are now in place, along with additional restrictions on lengths of time travelling, visiting EU member states, as well as new passport validity rules.
To ensure your travels to EU countries run as smoothly as possible, here are five new key rules to consider before jetting off.
New passport validity rules
To travel in the European Union, there are two new requirements for a British passport to be valid. These include:
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- Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago
- It must be valid for three months after the planned end date of your trip
For example, if you’re planning to visit an EU country with intentions to leave the UK on July 10, 2022, your passport must be valid until at least October 10, 2022.
Many are being caught out by this new rule. Only last week a family of five lost £3,000 at Bournemouth Airport after being told their passports were invalid due to them being issued more than 10 years ago – despite having an expiry date of February 2023.
If you might be in need of a passport renewal, the Home Office is urging members of the public to do this “as soon as possible”, as the “unprecedented surge” in applications following the Covid travel-related restrictions lifting is causing huge delays in delivery.
To renew your passport, visit the Gov.uk website here.
The Schengen Area’s 90/180 Day Rule
The Schengen Area, comprising 26 countries, is an area in Europe that has abolished all passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders.
The area functions as a single jurisdiction for international travel purposes.
The 26 Schengen countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Following Brexit, this new Schengen Area rule allows UK passport holders to visit the EU (or vice versa) visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period.
This can be made up of short visits or one long visit spanning the entire 90 days, and applies to all countries in the EU except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania, as these are not part of the Schengen Area.
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Free mobile roaming has now ended
Free mobile roaming for UK citizens visiting EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, has now come to an end.
However, a new law has been introduced to cap charges at £45. Once you reach £45, you’ll need to opt in to spend more so that you can continue using the internet while you’re abroad – your phone operator will tell you how to do this.
To be on the safe side, it’s advised to check with your phone operator regardless to find out any roaming charges you may have to pay.